This item is a pair of hand crafted, teak wood Masai warrior (called a moran’ in Maa language) and his wife, both in traditional dress. I personally selected these pieces for their intricate carving. The exceptionally fine, detailed carving displays this warrior’s senior rank in his dress and marriage. With a reputation as fierce warriors and an arrogant demeanor, the Masai have largely managed to stay outside the mainstream development of Kenya and still maintain traditions, and their much treasured cattle herds. Some young warriors have recently traveled into town, looking for salaried work, where their fierce reputation precedes them. They are eagerly hired as guards, as thieves rarely will bother a home or establishment that has a Masai guard. The carving was done by one of the world-famous masters of wood: the Makonde Tribe of southern Tanzania, (one clan has now moved to Kenya), using only simple hand tools of axes, various-sized knives and sandpaper. The Makonde craftsman carved each figure from a single piece of teak wood, which is an exceptionally hard and richly grained wood found in the borderland strip along the tropical areas in certain sections of Central Africa. Each figure is 6 inches tall, 4 inches in diameter, and the pair weighs just over 2 pounds. *Due to individual craftsmanship there could be some slight variances in position or appearance not affecting the quality of the product* |